The 6th Guth Gafa International Documentary Film Festival wrapped on Tuesday night with the closing film Climate of Change by Brian Hill.  Overall attendance was up and the additional screenings on Monday and Tuesday attracted a large audience, who also particpated in Guth Gafa's industry events, and 3 challenging new panel discussions.

Guth Gafa are proud and delighted to announce that the winner of the first Next Generation Student Competition is Peter O'Brien, director of the short film, Rose.  Peter, a final year student at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, wins a production packages consisting of shooting equipment, picture and sound post-production and editing software, for his next film.

Guth Gafa Film Festival Opens Friday With a Mix of Fine Music and Fine Wine, and of course with a Fine Film, Donor Unkown

The Shaun Doherty Show - Talk of the NorthWest will be broadcasting live from the Guth Gafa Film Festival outside the Óstan Loch Altan Hotel in Gortahork on Friday 10th June from 10.00am until 1.00pm.

Bring your children to Guth Gafa's "Kids in the Kitchen" with acclaimed chef Victoria Mackechnie

Accommodation in the Guth Gafa Bunkabus

Come along to the 'Meet the Directors' reception with the attending Irish and international filmmakers, and taste some wine, courtesy of The Wine Buff, plus music.
Open for all Festival guests and visitors with tickets or festival pass.
Sunday, 12th June 8.30pm - 9.30pm  in the Guth Gafa Hospitality Tent

Congratulations to all students who qualified for this year's Guth Gafa `Next Generation' student competition! The 13 finalists' films will be screened twice, on Sunday 12th June at 10.30am in the Loch Altán Cinema and Monday 13th June at 1.00pm in the Cinemobile. A panel of judges will announce the winner on Monday, awarding a fantastic prize of a production package valued at €10,000 including:

Yes, it's just 4 days to the start of the 6th Guth Gafa Festival, and the Guth Gafa team are burning the midnight oil to bring you the best Festival ever. ONE BIG PARTY - that's our motto for Guth Gafa 2011.  Now planning the best party in Ireland and raising awareness of human rights issues through documentary are not really comfortable bedfellows.  But, let's face it, here in Ireland over the last couple of years, it's been pretty awful for most of us (bankers, developers, politicians excluded), and so we have decided to fight back - with 30 films that will shake the establishment, and to bounce back - with music, comedy, dancing, surfing, kids activities, camping and much more. Let's have FUN!

Guth Gafa is introducing a new concept this year – the Secret Screening. This gives our audience the opportunity to see a powerful new film that has not yet had one of its major premieres (World, International or European).

In the brand new special Childrens' Area, sponsored this year by Sharkeys Waste Recycling from Annagry it's a magical world of  puppet shows,  art workshops, music, theatre and games. In a field, safely off the main road, with full-time adult supervision, Guth Gafa will run two fun-filled days of workshops and events on the Saturday and Sunday of the Festival.

While our banks, corporations and government institutions conspire, consort and ultimately crumble around us, Guth Gafa is trying to keep a vision alive - a vision of a better world for all of us through powerful documentary film-making. This vision is under threat, as our 2011 grant support is down 30% with only 2 weeks to go to the Festival.  We have launched a last minute funding appeal, and we have 9 days to raise a target of €5,000.  Please help support some of our key environmental and social action programmes, with a donation as little as €10.

Celebrity news, civic journalism, growth of digital media and Ireland’s FOI system – such were just some of the diverse topics covered during a lively Q&A debate with top newspaper editors and journalists in Donegal and Derry Tuesday evening to launch the annual Guth Gafa international documentary film festival.

Guth Gafa presents a 'Single Shot Cinema' masterclass, supported by FÁS/Screen Training Ireland with acclaimed director Leonard Retel Helmrich. This masterclass will take place on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th (Óstán Loch Altan) and is a rare opportunity to participate in a practical hands-on workshop with one of the most interesting and innovative documentary makers.

Interested in journalism and the key role played by media in local social, cultural, political and economic affairs?   Then don’t miss the champagne launch event of the Guth Gafa International Documentary Film Festival at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny at 7.30pm next Tuesday, May 24th, at which the 2011 Festival programme will be unveiled, and leading editors will speak out in a lively, interactive Q & A discussion.

This year’s festival programme will not only present a great selection of outstanding international feature documentaries but also includes a focus on North American films, presenting startling and surprising award-winning and Oscar-nominated documentaries from the last few years that deal with some of the most important issues of our time, including environmental justice, climate change, and a rage against big power and the machine.

The 6th edition of the Guth Gafa Film Festival will be as breathtaking and challenging as ever, with the very best award-winning international and Irish feature documentaries. We are pleased to give you a little sneak preview on this year’s programme highlights.

Guth Gafa 2011 is extending to a 5 day event this year, in no small part because of the tremendous support of our festival-goers over the last 5 years. We believe that in these difficult times, we have a responsibility to address the important environmental, social and human rights issues in Ireland and globally, and in this respect, we have decided this year to commit one day of Guth Gafa to highlight Environmental Justice and Climate Adaptation issues, with screenings, discussions, theatre and music performances.

For those who would like to bring their tents, teepees and camper vans you can stay in the Guth Gafa 2011 Camping-Village – a camping site close to the festival village – with toilet and water facilities, surrounded by trees, with our second music stage nearby for late nigt entertainment and a lot of fun. Sleep under the stars and get the real festival feeling.

This year Guth Gafa is planning a programme of outstanding short documentaries of young film students called The Next Generation.   Guth Gafa are also partnering with Tyrell and AVID who are holding their own student competition.  The winning documentary film from the AVID/Tyrell competition will screen in Guth Gafa's Next Generation programme.